"Holy shit!" Was all Emily could say as she looked at the full length mirror.
"You look great, sis." Katie said as she pinned the veil on the top of Emily's intricate bun.
Emily took a deep breath and examined herself. Her strapless wedding dress hugged her chest and gracefully draped down to her ankles. Her hair was pulled back and there was a little blue flower hairpin that had belonged to her grandmother.
"I'm getting married today." She said in 'Twin' as she turned to look at Katie who looked like she was about to cry.
"I know." Katie responded in their special language. "I'll miss you."
"I'm not going anywhere!" Emily laughed.
"I know." Katie nodded but still it felt like Emily would never be just her sister anymore, she'd be Emily Campbell from now on. Emily could read right through Katie.
"I'll always be your sister." Emily threw her arms around Katie, who reciprocated the hug. Katie's phone started buzzing and Katie looked at it.
"Fuck. It's the caterers." She told Emily and picked it up. "Hello? What the fuck do you mean that the chocolate fountain is broken? Fine. I'll be there in a moment." Katie scoffed and left Emily alone in the room they had shared their entire life. Their wedding was going to be in the backyard of Emily's house.
Emily heard a soft knock. "Yeah?" She called out.
"Hi." Said a soft voice behind the door. It was Naomi. Emily got closer to the door and twisted the knob to let her in.
"Don't." Naomi stopped her. "We're not supposed to see each other. Mum said it's like tradition or something."
"Right." Emily said quietly. Before Emily could ask Naomi said, "I just- I needed to hear your voice."
"Yeah. Me too." Emily confessed. She sat down in front of the door.
"You know, we could make a run for it. Get eloped in Morocco or even Vegas." Naomi was only half joking.
Emily laughed. "I think if I did that Katie would chop both our heads off the next time she saw us." Naomi laughed behind the door.
Emily couldn't take it anymore she cracked the door and stuck out just her hand. Naomi saw it and automatically took it and wrapped her fingers around Emily's. Emily grinned widely.
"Well this feels rather familiar." Naomi said. Emily chuckled nostalgically. "It definitely does." She remembered the night Naomi came to her house and told her she wanted her.
"I love you, Ems." Naomi spoke up, "I just want to get over this whole wedding madness so it can be just us again."
"Me too." Emily agreed. Emily heard footsteps. "Oh. Hi, Naomi!" It was JJ's voice he sounded surprised to see Naomi sitting in front of the door holding Emily's hand. "Hi, JJ." Naomi replied.
"I just wanted to congratulate Emily." He said.
"Right. Well, I suppose I should have Effy finish off my makeup." Nomi kissed Emily's hand. "I'll see you at the altar, love."
"I'll be the one in white." Emily joked.
"No fucking way! Me too!" Naomi said with mock enthusiasm and left. JJ opened the door and Emily threw his arms around him.
"Wow! Emily you look- wow!"
"Thank you, Best Man. You don't look half bad yourself." Emily replied. It was true. JJ had certainly grown up. His hair was no longer a wavy mess but rather a styled, sophisticated cut thanks to his wife, Lara. He was also still thin, but no longer lanky and his black suit hugged his toned arms.
"So, are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes. I have been for a long time." She smiled.
Naomi was thankful for her mother's tight grip as she started to walk down the aisle when the music started playing. She had looked up and saw Emily in her dress and went weak on her knees. She and Gina continued walking down the aisle. Emily smiled radiantly at her. Next to her were JJ and Katie, her best man and maid of honor and on the other side of them was Effy smiling her Effy smile. She reached the end of the aisle and took Emily's hand. Gina kissed Naomi's cheek and winked playfully at Kieran who was at the altar because Naomi had asked him to officiate the wedding. Turned out the old Irishman was ordained.
"You look so beautiful." Emily whispered as she leaned in.
"Y-you too." Naomi was speechless. Emily was a vision. Naomi looked all around her. The huge backyard of Emily's parents' house had been completely transformed. Katie has set up a dancefloor and the entire venue was decorated with white lilies anew of which Naomi was wearing on her hair. She had opted not to have a veil and wore a simple lace wedding dress.
"Today is a celebration." Kieran began the ceremony. "A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever. But, if you really think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? The two of ya standing on a stage, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by pretty much everyone who has meant anything to you in the past twenty-something years. So why do it?"
Naomi looked at her stepfather in disbelief. He better not ruin this.
Kieran continued, "Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. Or whatever. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you all are here to watch them stand up here." He looked up to the crowd. "Now, the brides wrote their own vows." Kieran nodded at Emily to begin. Emily took a shaky breath.
"Naomi, being with you has taught me so many things. You have taught me that love isn't happily ever after, love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment — not even this moment. It's every moment. Big ones like when I told you I wanted you by the lake, moving in together, going to Goa, getting engaged in Mexico, the cancer-" Emily paused briefly to regain her emotions. "— but mostly a million little ones that come in between the big moments. Like when we danced with mustaches to Mexican music or when you wrap your arms around me on my moped, falling asleep next to one another, making dinner together, spending holidays with our families, binge-watching Orange is the New Black, getting to kiss you every morning… These everyday moments fuse together into one big adventure. You make my life so wonderful, Naoms. I love you." Emily's voice cracked.
Kieran smiled. "Naomi?"
"Crap." Naomi wiped her face and sniffled. "Told myself I wouldn't cry." Everyone laughed, including Emily.
"Emily. I've always thought I was pretty good with words. I'm a comedian for god's sake! But at this very moment words fail. How do you just tell someone who you've been in love with for thirteen years? Those words don't exist. That's just the way it is with love — it's meant to be felt, not described. So instead I am going to tell a story. Most of you don't know this but nearly nine years ago Emily and I went to a lake and spent the night there and it was terrifying. It was terrifying because for the first time in my life someone could actually break my heart, so I left." She turned to look at Emily. "That day you asked me to be brave and want you back. And me being the twat that I was pretended not to hear. But here I am… being brave and wanting you more than ever because that's what you do, Ems. You make me braver and kinder and more honest. You make me want to be a better person. I love you with all my heart."
Emily shook her head and kissed her.
"Wait! Not yet!" Kieran said playfully. "That part comes afterwards!"
"Ok. Since these two can't keep their hands off each other, I'll make this quick. Do you, Emily, take Naomi to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you apart?"
"I do."
"And do you, Naomi, take Emily to be your wife, to have and to hold. Blah, blah, blah. You get the point!"
"I do." Naomi smiled.
Kieran sighed and smiled. "Okay. NOW you may kiss the bride."
Anomaly took Emily's face gently in her hands and kissed her passionately as their guests cheered.
"I'm fucking married. Me. Naomi Campbell. Married. Can you fucking believe it?" Naomi continued to be in shock as she and Effy sat on a table and sipped champagne.
"Yep. You're married." Effy said as she took another sip of champagne.
"I mean look at her. Isn't she the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?" Effy looked up to see Emily happily dancing with JJ.
"Yeah." Effy wasn't exactly preoccupied with what Naomi was saying she was busy looking at the dancefloor looking for someone…
"He said he was coming." Naomi said knowingly. Effy nodded. "So what's been going on between you two? You've been spending a lot of time together, yeah?"
"I'm just helping him with his pub. The management part."
"Really? Well, are you helping him with something else too? Naomi make a sexual face and made a loose fist while moving it up and down, mimicking the masturbation motion.
"What the fuck? No! We're just friends!" Effy got defensive. "He's got a kid!"
"I have seen you with that kid and I can tell you love that kid. Just like you love that man." Naomi said with a knowing face.
Effy looked out onto the dancefloor again and saw Panda and her boyfriend, Dean, doing the robot. "Pandora's new beau seems nice."
Naomi snorted. "He's just a male version of her. And don't change the subject!"
Emily excitedly ran to Naomi and took her hand. "Dance with me, wife!" She pulled Naomi out of her chair and dragged her to the dancefloor but not before Naomi turned to Effy and said, "Looks like your "friend" is here."
She was right. Effy looked out and saw Cook in a Gray suit and black shirt. He seemed strangely out of place. Which was odd because James Cook was never out of place when there was a party involved.
Katie was walking furiously towards the caterers with full intent to scream at them for not heating the mini quiches properly but as she was speed walking a waiter with a tray of red wine bumped into her effusively spilling all of the wine on Katie's dress.
"Ahh! Look what you have done, you stupid twat!" Katie scolded the waiter with a terrified look in his face.
"I am so sorry, miss." He stuttered nervously. He grabbed a napkin and started wiping down the huge stain in her dress.
"Don't touch me! God, you're such a fucking moron!" She cried out angrily the waiter just looked at her apologetically.
"Just go away!" She screamed and the waiter nodded and scurried away quickly. Katie looked down and inspected the stain, "How am gonna get rid of this?" She asked herself.
"Try vinegar." Someone said behind her she turned around. It was Thomas. "And soap." He smiled.
She smiled back. "Yeah. Okay." She nodded she started walking back to the house and Thomas followed her. "I can help." He offered.
"Sure." She went inside the house. "I'm just gonna change out of the dress. I'll be back in a second." She walked to her room and opened in and found her 17 year old brother, James, and his friend, Gordon, trying on some of her dresses.
"I can explain!" James said, clearly alarmed.
"I don't even want to know." Katie shook her head and grabbed a shirt and some shorts to wear while she cleaned her dress and quickly headed out of her room but stopped right as she was about to exit.
"By the way, James, that dress makes your bum look fat." She exited the room and changed in the bathroom and rushed downstairs to the kitchen where Thomas was already waiting with a bottle of vinegar and soapy water. He took the dress out of her hands and expertly started removing the stain.
"There." He said contently as he held up the spotless dress. "You will have to wait for it to dry but it should be good." He handed her the dress and their fingertips brushed briefly.
"Thank you so much." She looked at him gratefully.
"My pleasure." He bowed his head and started heading out.
"Wait, Thomas." She called out. "How's your mum? I heard she wasn't doing too well."
"She has good days and bad days." It was clear that was all Thomas would say about it. "It's a beautiful wedding. Everyone is having a good time. You did a wonderful job."
"Thank you. I should be heading back I needed to talk to the chef about the quiches. But now here I am with a mess with no dress and sticky with wine."
"The quiches are delicious." He came closer to her, "And you are no mess. You are beautiful, Katie Fitch."
She couldn't stop herself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Their kissing intensified as she started guiding him up the stairs. She had been so caught up in the moment that she nearly forgot that James and his friend were in her room. He tried to open the door but she stopped him.
"Wait. Not in there… My brother is err… Changing in there." She instead guided him to the guest bedroom and she looked the door. She took off his suit jacket and started loosening his tie as he continued kissing her. He then helped her pull of her t-shit and soon enough they were completely naked. They were on the bed and he was on top of her. He looked into her eye warmly and smiled.
"I have wanted this for a long time." He whispered.
"Me too." She replied and resumes kissing him.
Effy was walking towards Cook.
"Hey, you." She said quietly but he heard her and turned around and did a double take when he looked at her. She looked elegant, yet cute, but also extremely sexy in a way that only Effy could manage. Cook continued to gawk at her and she knew it. "Stop looking like a twat and ask me to dance." She commanded. He quickly regained composure and nodded. Taking her by the hand and guiding her to the dancefloor.
She put her hand on his shoulders and he put them around her waist and they swayed slightly awkwardly to the music.
"How is Sophie?" Effy asked after a few minutes of wordless dancing.
"She's great. Really getting the hang of walking. She's getting everywhere now. I hope the sitter can manage her."
After two months of being with Cook and occasionally seeing Sophie Effy had gotten strangely attached to the little tyke. Cook's phone started vibrating in his pocket.
"Speak of the devil." He said before answering. "Hi, Lindsay! Is Sophie okay? "He answered and listened to rhea other end. "A fever?" He asked. "Yes. I'll be right over with the meds." He hung up.
"I have to go. Sophie has a fever."
"Wait." Effy called out. "I'll come with you I want to make sure she's okay."
"Aren't you like the maid of honor or something?" He asked.
Effy looked behind her and saw Emily and Naomi kissing while they danced.
"I think they'll be fine." She shrugged and Cook motioned for her to follow him. She followed him to his car and they stopped at the pharmacy to get medicine and then they finally got to the apartment. They were immediately greeted by Sophie's cries. The came out carrying the crying infant.
"S' ok love, Daddy is here." He reached out to get the medicine but his hands were too busy carrying Sophie.
"Here." Effy outstretched her arms and took cook's daughter and started making soothing circles on the infant's back. Surprisingly, Sophie started to calm down and cook was able to give her the medicine without too much of a fuss. Effy continued to rock Sophie in her arms. Cook had offered to take her but Effy refused. It was hard to admit but she loved holding Sophie. It was her smell, her silky golden curls, her stormy gray eyes. There was something about it that made it seem almost like Effy was meant to hold her and the way that cook looked at her while she held her made her feel a wave of warmth inside of her.
Effy looked down at the toddler. "She's asleep." She whisper. Cook nodded and took his daughter from Effie's arms and gently put her in her cot while Effy watched. She had never seen anyone be so gentle and tender with anything in her entire life. They both exited the room and cook closed the door to Sophie's room.
"Thanks for that." he said quietly. When he said those words every bit of restraint that Effy had built up just crumbled away. She moved closed to him and took his head in her hands and pressed her lips to his. He was startled but then he sated moving his lips too and but his hands on the back of her neck the way he knew she liked. He guided her to the bedroom. She fell on the bed and started undoing the buttons of his shirt and he went to unzip her dress but pulled back suddenly.
"Stop." He said stoically.
"Why?" Effy was so confused.
"We can't do this." He started buttoning up his shirt. "You- you should go."
"Okay. I'll leave." She wasn't giving in to this. "Just as soon as you give me one good reason why I should."
"I- I can't say. Just know that you are better off without me."
"What the fuck makes you think that?" She crossed her arms.
"I'm no good. You deserve better." He was trying to push her away and she knew it.
"Is this because of the whole John Foster thing?" She asked quietly.
"Yes. No… I don't know." He sighed and rested his face on his hands. "I'm not a good person, Eff. Freddy… Emma...They were both killed, I couldn't stop it. I don't want to say that about you. "
"It won't happen. Nothing's gonna happen to me. Because you will protect me. You always have and always will." She tried to reassure him. She wrapped her arm around him and kissed his cheek softly and then down his neck and started to slowly undo the buttons of his shirt. He started kissing back.
"I'm tellin' ya!" Kieran's loud drunken voice boomed, "If Naomi is half as good in the sac as her mother, the rest of her marriage should be smooth sailin'!"
"Oh, god!" Naomi covered her face as she was slow dancing with Emily. She was certain all of their guests had heard that. Emily just laughed and looked very amused. "I don't even know who he's talking to!"
"That would be my boss." Emily chuckled.
"Oh my god!" Naomi started pulling away, "I'll get him before he gets you fired."
Emily pulled Naomi back to her. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I was fired." She muttered.
"What do you mean? Naomi looked genuinely confused. "You don't like it anymore?"
"No. It's not that. I love being a graphic designer. I've just been thinking about taking some time off."
"Why?" Naomi asked.
"It doesn't matter. We don't have to talk about this right now."
"Emily, yes we do. What's going on?"
"I just... We should..." Emily struggled with her words and sighed. "I want to have a baby."
Naomi nodded silently, "Oh."
"I mean like not now-or maybe now. I don't know. It could be in ages. It doesn't have to be now. I mean were young, but not that young..."
"Emily." Naomi stopped the ramble. "I want to have a baby with you."
"Wait. You do?" Emily looked confused now.
"Yeah. To be honest I hadn't thought loads about it but yes. I want a family too. Maybe after we get back form the honeymoon we can start talking about it. Maybe see some doctors."
"Ok. Yeah. Brilliant." Emily was speechless. "Speaking of the honeymoon, I got some oils...and stuff.
"Oils, eh?" Naomi smile.
"Yes. Ooooiiillllss. And stuff." Emily looked at her suggestively. They both laughed at their inside joke and contused dancing.